Lifting device



Nov. 9,1926." 1,606,294

J. J. FIECHTER mums nsvxcn Filed May a, 1 2 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

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J. J. FIECHTER LIFTING nsvxcn Filed May :5, 1522 2 Sheets -Sheet 2 v INVENTOR.

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Patented Nov. 9, 1926.

JOHN J. FIECHTER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO EDWARD G.

BUDD MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF .PORA'IION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

LIFTIN G Application filed May 3,

My invention relates toimprovements in lifting devices and has to do, more particularly, with a device adapted for lifting automobile bodies very quickly and easily from a supporting conveyor, carriage, or stand, so as to enable them to be moved from one place to another by an overhead conveyor system. 7

The principal object of my invention is 10 to provide a device which is adapted to be suspended from an overhead support, such as an overhead conveyor, by means of which by a single manipulation of an operating handle or lever, the article may be lifted vertically and supported and retained in this lifted position.

I In the manufacture of automobile bodies, the bodies are carried through certain stages of manufacturing operations upon conveyor belts or chains from which they are transferred to movable carriages or stands on which some of the remaining operations are performed, It has been customary heretofore to use an overhead conveyor system and a chain hoist for lifting a body from the conveyor belt or chain so that it might be transferredby the overhead conveyor system to the carriage or stand to which it was then lowered. This has required the labor of two men, one to. manipulatethe hoist to lift the body, and the other to steady the body while being lifted.

A leadingobject of my invention is to provide a lifting device adapted to be suspended from an overhead support, such as an overhead conveyor, and which may be manipulated by one hand of the operator to lift the structure, for instance, an automobile body, while the operator steadies the structure with his other hand. This eliminates the labor of one man and results in a corresponding saving in the cost of manufacture. p A further. object of my invention is to provide a lifting device comprising a suspended lever which may be moved from one position to another to'lift' the l'oad'and which may be automatically retained in lifted position by the weight of the load.

' Another object of my invention is to provide a lifting device including a lifting lever and means for limiting the movement of the lever in alifting direction at such a .vation, said view b '22 of Fig. 1.,

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A COR- DEVICE.

1922. Serial No. 558,286.

detailed description to follow. In one instance, I accomplish the objects of vmy invention by the devices and means described in the following specificationl My invention is clearly defined andpointed out in the appended claims. IA structure constituting 1 a preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, .forming a part of this specification, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in. side elevation of an automobile body showing my improved lifting device applied for lifting the body, and.

Fig. 2 is a view of my device in front ele eing taken on the line In the. drawing,the same reference numerals referto the same parts throughout the several vie'wsand the sectional view is taken looking in "the direction of the arrows at the ends of the sectionline.

In, general, my invention consists in a lever which is fulcrumed; intermediatev its I ends about a 1 movable support. One end of the lever constitutes an operating han-' dle and the other'carries suitable means for engagingthe'body or part to be lifted.

Meansare provided for limiting the swing ofthe lever in the lifting direction and I prefer to so position such means that; inthe limiting position ofthe lever, the load tends to retain the lever in 'such'position. I may suspend the lever by a linkage arrangement comprising a yoke pivotally connected to the support and a pair of links connecting the ends of the yoke with spaced points on the lever. I may cause the endof the lever .to

engage the yoke to limit the movement of V the lever in the lifting direction. 7

In the drawings, I have; illustrated 'a device for lifting the automobile body, [10,

for instance, from-a stand, 11. This device is suspended fromthe supporting member,,

12, suspended from an overhead carrier, such as an overhead conveyor system. A cross bar, 13, carriesa pair of hooks, 14, which are adapted to engage suitable portions or openings in the body, 10, so that,

' ited because theend, 2e,

when the cross bar, 18, is lifted, the body is lifted from the stand, 11. A cross yoke, 15, ispivotally connected intermediate its ends to the lower end of the supporting member, 12, and links, 16 and 22, are pivotally connected as at 17 and21, to the'ends of the yoke, 15. A lever, 19, is provided with an operating handle, 20, at one end, and means are provided at the other end of the lever to engage and lift the bar, 13, and with it the load to be lifted when the lever is rocked. Any suitable engaging means may be employed for this purpose. In the drawings 1 have shown a simple illustrative means comprising a hook, 25, pivotally connected to the end of the lever, as at 2 1, and provided with a finger, 26, adapted to engage the bar, 13. The lower ends of the links, 16 and 22, are pivotally connected to lever, 19, at the points, 18 and 23, spaced from each other. i

In Fig. 2, the device is shown in full lines in its lowered position, and in dotted lines raised position. When the operator grasps thehandle, 20', and swings it downwardly, the linkage is moved so as to lift the point, 24, and, consequently, the hook, 25, which carries the bar, 18, and the body, upwardly. This movement continues until the end of the lever, 19, strikes the yoke, 15, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. ln LillS position, the load acts downwardly along a line passing through the end of the lever, 19, and, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, the load is exerted so as to tend to swing the handle, 20, of the lever, 19, further to the left- It is to be noticed that the handle, 20, of the lever, 19, has been moved from the position shown at the right fhand side of Fig. 2. This movement of the lever,

19, serves to swingthe yoke, 15, on itspivot and lifts the point, 24:, at which the load is applied to the lever, 19/ This movement of the lever, 19, in the lifting direction, is limof the lever, strikes the yoke, 15, since both the lever and-the yoke move inthe' same plane. The point at which the end of the lever engages the yoke, 15, is so located that the reaction of the load on this system of links and levers tends to continue the movement of the lever,

the handle, 20., with o 19, in the lifting direction, but such movement 'is prevented by 'theengagement betweenthe'end of the'lever and the yoke, '15.

Therefore, this arrange'mentserves not only to limit the throw of the leverin the lifting direction but also to retain the lever automatically in this limiting position. This is of considerable importance from the practical standpoint, since it enables one man to operate this lifting device and, at the same time, to control the .body or other load which'is'lifted by it. The operator grasps ne hand and steadies the body with the other. He swings the '19, in reverse direction.

nee s-es lever, 19, through the are indicated in Fig.

2 of the drawings until it reaches its limiting position, inwhich it will cal v retained. Thereafter,

the operator by means of the overhead conveyor system. The load can be lowered by simply rocking the lever, It .will be seen that this device is very simple in its nature but automatic in its locking action so that the mere throwing of the lever in a lifting direction to its limit of movement locks the lever, so as to hold the load in lifted posi- 'tion.

I am aware that the lifting device disclosed in this specification may be altered considerably without departing from the spirit of 'my invent-ion and, therefore, I claim my invention broadly, as indicated by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what 1 claim as new and'useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device of the class described compns ing a lever, a member secured to one end of said lever for engaging the load to be lifted, and means for fulcruining said lever including a yoke pivotally connected to a're'latively fined support and a pair of links pivotally connected to said yoke and to spaced points on said lever.

2. A device of the class described comprising a lever, a member connected to one end of said lever for engaging the'load to be lifted, .and means for fulcruming said lever including a yoke pivotally connected to a relatively fixed support and a pair of links :pivotally connected to said yoke and to spaced points on said lever,

one endof-said lever being adapted to engage said yoke to limit movement of the lever in the lifting direction.

3. A device of the class described comprising a lever, a member connected to one end of saidlever forengaging the load to be lifted,'and means for fulcruming said lever including a yoke pivotally connected to'a relatively fixed support and a pair of links pivotally Econnected to said yoke and to spaced points on said lever, one end of said lever being adapted to engage said yoke, to limit movement of the lever in the lifting direction, at a point such that the weight of the part to be lifted tends to continuethe movement of the lever in the lifting direction.

at. A device of the class described comprising a yoke pivoted on a relatively fixed point of support, a pair of links connected to the ends of said yoke, a lever connected to the lower ends-of said links, and .a lifting hook be. autcmatiengage the load to be'lifted, a movable suspended fulcrum for said lever, whereby when said lever is rocked about its fulcrum, the vertical dead center line of the load is permitted to move beyond the vertical line through said fulcrum, and means to arrest said lever when the last-mentioned line is passed.

6. A lifting device comprising a member pivotally suspended from an overhead sup port, and a lifting lever pivotally suspended intermediate its ends from said member, and having means at one end to engage the load to be lifted, said lever arranged tovrock in lifting direction whereby to carry the point of connection of the load engaging means beyond the vertical line of the fulcrum point of suspension of said pivotally suspended member. p

7. A device of the class described comprising an over-head support, a lever having means at one end thereof for engagement with work to be lifted into raised position, and a system of linkages interconnecting said support and said lever whereby upon movement of said lever into work-raising position the lever will be automatically maintained in said position.

8. A device of the class described comprising a support, a lever carried .on said support by an interconnectingsystem of relatively movable linkages, and having means at one end adapted to lift the work into raised position, and means on said lever adapted to abut one of said linkages when the lever is operated to raise the work, the

at spaced points thereof whereby to effect the completion of a lazy-tongs linkage.

10. A device ofthe class described, a support, a plurality of interconnected links pivotally mounted on said support, certain of said links having the ends thereof freely disposed, a lever connected at spaced points thereof to said freelydisposed ends, said lever having portions thereof projecting on ,either side of said spaced points, one of said portions constituting a support for the work engaging means and the other of said portions constituting the operating handle for the lazy-tongs linkage.

11. A device of the class described comprising a support, a plurality of interconmeeting linkages mounted on said support and providing at the free ends thereof relatively movable supports, and a lever having w0rk engaging means at one end thereof secured to said relatively movable supports said supports said work engaging means will be lifted into raised position.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature. i v

JOHN J. FIEOHTER.

whereby upon movement of said lever about I 

